62 replies to this topic

[Derek Tonn]

[sarcasm] Ooh...that'd be a deal breaker for me, Hans, as I couldn't make it without wifi and TV! Wifi to make sure things aren't burning down to the ground while I am away from the office, and TV to help sing me to sleep or serve as mindless white-noise while I am searching for a fire hydrant with my hose. [/sarcasm]

I went to a conference in Minneapolis the week before NACIS this year. The *discounted* rate at the hotel for the conference was $149/night ($179/night and I think $229/night over the four-day span if you didn't get a room out of their block). I stayed at a hotel in Roseville, about a 12 minute drive, for $51/night. I did the same thing at NACIS in Missoula. Paid about 1/2 to 1/3 the nightly rate to walk 2-3 blocks in that beautiful mountain air.

The moral to the story is I'd hate to see even 3-4 fewer people make NACIS because they or their employers cannot justify the "extra" $200-$300 in lodging costs. I'm not suggesting we hold NACIS in a hostel in coming years! I'm just saying that the real value of NACIS is the networking and program/content...not where said networking or program is occurring.

[NSBuhwheat]

Howdy to all NACIS'ers,

I've just become a card carrying member (we do get a snazzy NACIS id, I hope?) :-)

Will throw in my vote for a Nova Scotia venue. Halifax, anyone?. Maybe even go out on a limb and suggest somewhere on picturesque Cape Breton Island? Afterall, AG Bell, one of the founders of of the National Geographic Society, had roots on the island, Baddeck, to be precise, and the Grosvenor family, also of NatGeo fame, still use Bell's estate as a summer home.

I realize I'm stretching it, but as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained!



Cheers,



Jamie Whitters

[Dennis McClendon]

I say we go for broke and have a trinational conference in St. Pierre-et-Miquelon. We could have the annual trivia contest on one of the answers.

[Hans van der Maarel]

I've just become a card carrying member (we do get a snazzy NACIS id, I hope?) :-)

No, but we do have a secret handshake

[Jimbo]

Will throw in my vote for a Nova Scotia venue. Halifax, anyone?. d!

Lets be realistic here Halifax has no chance to host a summit like this anytime soon. It was a fluke that the G8 took place in Halifax, but that was back in the 1990's. Since then Halifax only had the World Hockey Championships only because it was co-hosted with Quebec City, mind you Halifax played second fiddle. Halifax tried to host the Commonwealth Games & failed, a new stadium is in demand & the council tells its people that they don't need one until at-least 2020. And the ultimate insult for Halifax is that not only did Moncton host a CFL game, they will host again next year, & will likely win a CFL Franchise. Halifax is falling off the radar.

To put it simple.....Halifax is incapable of hosting any real event like the NACIS.

[NSBuhwheat]

Whoa there,

No need to get testy. My reply was "tongue in cheek", as I realize HFX would be far too small to host an event of this magnitude.

Chill, my mapping friend. It's friday! :-)

Cheers,


Jamie Whitters

[Charles Syrett]

I say we go for broke and have a trinational conference in St. Pierre-et-Miquelon. We could have the annual trivia contest on one of the answers.

Heck, why stop at only three countries? North America is usually considered as including Greenland (that's part of Denmark), as well as the Caribbean and Central America!

Charles Syrett
Map Graphics
http://www.mapgraphics.com

[Hans van der Maarel]

Heck, why stop at only three countries? North America is usually considered as including Greenland (that's part of Denmark), as well as the Caribbean and Central America!

I like NACIS because it gives me an excuse to travel to fun and exciting destinations I'd otherwise not go to. Greenland however does not rate very high on the fun-o-meter... I mean, come on, Icelandic Vikings thought it was cold up there!

The Bahama's on the other hand...

[nonie3234]

Puerto Rico! And you don't need a passport!
http://seepuertorico.com/
Ocean! Beaches! Caves! Rain forest! History! RUM! Delicious food! Dancing! Salsa y Merengue! ¡Ay Papi!

I like NACIS because it gives me an excuse to travel to fun and exciting destinations I'd otherwise not go to. Greenland however does not rate very high on the fun-o-meter... I mean, come on, Icelandic Vikings thought it was cold up there!

The Bahama's on the other hand...

[Derek Tonn]

Puerto Rico! And you don't need a passport!
http://seepuertorico.com/
Ocean! Beaches! Caves! Rain forest! History! RUM! Delicious food! Dancing! Salsa y Merengue! ¡Ay Papi!

You had me at "rum." I only have maybe 3-4 drinks/year...but when I do, rum is the drink of choice.

[SouthernCross]

Will throw in my vote for a Nova Scotia venue. Halifax, anyone?. d!

Lets be realistic here Halifax has no chance to host a summit like this anytime soon. It was a fluke that the G8 took place in Halifax...

A summit? I hardly think the turnout for a NACIS event would merit "summit" status. Lets not get ridiculuous here...

[eli]

I would not want to see the conference in Canada for two reasons:
1. The cost of the flight (within Canada) would likely push it outside my org's budget (for instance, my supervisor traveled to Toronto about the same time I went to NACIS this year - and my flight was cheaper!)
2. Boring! (ok, I'm sure Nacites could choose just as random and interesting place as they do in the States, but it would cost twice as much to get there)

[rudy]

I disagree with Eli that Canadian cities are boring and I think it misses the point - this is a working conference, not some holiday jaunt. Do people actually choose their conferences based on the location rather than how worthwhile the conference is? Well, I suppose they do but they're looking at it backwards.

Has NACIS considered the option of hosting a virtual conference? In addition to or instead of their regular one? It might take more organization up front to do it right the first time but if cost is an issue for attendees, this should option should win hands down.

[SouthernCross]

I would not want to see the conference in Canada for two reasons:
1. The cost of the flight (within Canada) would likely push it outside my org's budget (for instance, my supervisor traveled to Toronto about the same time I went to NACIS this year - and my flight was cheaper!)
2. Boring! (ok, I'm sure Nacites could choose just as random and interesting place as they do in the States, but it would cost twice as much to get there)

1. I assume you live in Vancouver as that is where your location indicates you are. If so, then Vancouver is pretty far from Toronto and you are closer to lost of places in the United States, thereby what you are saying is perfectly understandable.

2. Canadian cities are boring? Hmmmm... I think there numerous of people who might disagree with you. Furthermore, it shows a shocking lack of knowledge on the subject of human geography. Just because a city isn't situated on the mountains or on a peninsula doesn't mean its not interesting. Cultural diversities and historical significance are incredibly important and in some cases more so than a city's physical geography. Of course, who would want to go to a conference on the east coast and tour the Bay of Fundy and fishing villages or how about Quebec City or Montreal with all their history, or even a city like Sault Ste. Marie or Thunder Bay (on the shores of Lake Superior and surrounded by wilderness and barren landscapes), etc, etc, etc...

As far as it being pushed outside your budget, well consider the necessity for going to the NACIS conference... I'd imagine it isn't very high, unless you are purely dealing in cartography. In todays day and age, most supervisors would rather invest in the geospatial/GeoDesign side of things when it comes to business development decisions. Our company doesn't send people halfway across the country/continent for a conference unless it can be justified as a sound business decision. Just calling it how it is.

With that being said, I would love to attend a NACIS event just for the purely creative aspect of map design.

[eli]

Wow, sorry. Clearly I did not explain my boring comment well enough.

Rudy, I would argue that place shouldn't be divorced from a cartography conference... maybe that's just me?

Personally, I agree with Nat: the presentations are second to the personal connections and conversations. The conference could be in the middle of nowhere and I'd still probably go - but it's harder financially for my organisation to send me to the other side of Canada (which is more interesting to me than this side of Canada, as I haven't explored there as much) than it is sending me to the other side of the US because of the cost of flights. A conference that was recorded for future reference and to broadcast to members who couldn't attend would be fabulous (although I wonder if shy people like myself would be discouraged from presenting at a recorded conference?).

SouthernCross, most of the places that wouldn't be more expensive for me to get to are in western Canada - and they're not interesting *to me*. I would love love love to spend more time on that great big Canadian shield; I adore Newfoundland and have always wanted to explore the rest of the maritimes; and well, Quebec? Love it. But Regina or Calgary? I'd leave it.

And yes, much of my job is cartography and I can probably use all the help I can get . I don't attend many other conferences besides NACIS. For example, I don't even attend the Vancouver ESRI conference anymore - it's simply not worth my time or $50.

Anyway, I just wanted to add my two cents into the mix (currently worth 1.9996 US cents!).